New Mexico Statutes 3-60A-2. Findings and declarations of necessity

A. It is found and declared that there exist in municipalities of the state slum areas and blighted areas that constitute a serious and growing menace, injurious to the public health, safety, morals and welfare of the residents of the state; that the existence of these areas contributes substantially to the spread of disease and crime, constitutes an economic and social burden, substantially impairs or arrests the sound and orderly development of municipalities and retards the maintenance and expansion of necessary housing accommodations; that economic and commercial activities are lessened in those areas by the slum or blighted conditions, and the effects of these conditions include less employment in the area and municipality, lower property values, less gross receipts tax revenue for the state and municipalities and reduces the use of buildings, residential dwellings and other facilities in the area that the prevention and elimination of slum areas and blighted areas and the prevention and elimination of conditions that impair the sound and orderly development of municipalities is a matter of state policy and concern in order that the state and its municipalities shall not continue to be endangered by these areas that contribute little to the tax income of the state and its municipalities and that consume an excessive proportion of its revenues because of the extra services required for police, fire, accident, hospitalization or other forms of public protection, services and facilities.

B. Certain slum areas and blighted areas or portions thereof may require land acquisition and clearance by the municipality, since prevailing conditions may make impracticable their reclamation or development; other areas or portions of the slum or blighted area may be suitable for conservation or rehabilitation efforts and the conditions and evils enumerated in Subsection A of this section may be eliminated, remedied or prevented by those efforts; and to the extent feasible, salvageable slum and blighted areas should be conserved and rehabilitated through voluntary action, the regulatory process and, when necessary, by government assistance.

C. The powers conferred by the Metropolitan Redevelopment Code [3-60A-1 to 3-60A-13,3-60A-14 to 3-60A-48 NMSA 1978] regarding the use of public money are for public uses or purposes for which public money may be expended. The individual benefits accruing to persons as the result of the powers conferred by the Metropolitan Redevelopment Code and projects conducted in accordance with its provisions are found and declared to be incidental to the objectives of that code and are far outweighed by the benefit to the public as a whole. Activities authorized and powers granted by the Metropolitan Redevelopment Code are hereby declared not to result in a donation or aid to any person, association or public or private organization or enterprise. The necessity for these provisions and the power is declared to be in the public interest as a matter of legislative determination.

D. The legislature finds that the problems of the large metropolitan areas are unique in this state because of the size and magnitude of the problems when such large numbers of people are affected. The legislature further finds and declares that the strategies and methods for solving these problems in the large metropolitan areas differ from those in the smaller cities and towns and villages of the state, and it is necessary to authorize those home rule metropolitan areas additional powers and flexibility because of the nature and size of their problems and because the governments of such metropolitan areas have sufficient staff to meet and deal with those problems. Further, these authorizations are merely explanations of the powers of home rule communities in these metropolitan areas that can be exercised under home rule authority notwithstanding any limitations contained in the Metropolitan Redevelopment Code.